Ethical investing interests
the public

Almost half of people are interested in learning about the ethical credentials of the next service or financial product that they buy, according to research.

Of those who said they were interested in finding out more, three-quarters said that the information would be taken into consideration when they next bought a product or service, research by the non-profit research body EIRIS found.

Among the issues that people thought should be important to banks and financial institutions were tackling climate change, protecting human rights and the environment, along with investing in fair trade when lending. These issues were preferred to areas seen as less moral, such as the manufacturing of tobacco, alcohol and gambling.

EIRIS' Mark Robertson said: "Our survey provides firm evidence of growing interest in ethical finance, suggesting that the message that it is possible to both make money and make a difference when investing ethically is starting to get through to consumers.

"But levels of awareness, trust and confidence in ethical finance are low. The industry must respond with greater transparency and provide more information on how saving and investing can make a positive difference."

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